What do you think makes for a terrible reading?
A terrible reading for me is when the astrologer is not in tune with me.

Have you ever been given a terrible reading, and what was most disappointing about it?
I can't remember a specific example, as this has not happened in a long time, but I do not like it if the astrologer has a canned or pre-determined list of things to say and does not allow for some interaction.

Have you yourself given a terrible reading, and what do you think went wrong? And how would you have remedied the situation?
Yes. It happened earlier this year. It was at a conference and I was very busy prior to the reading and did not do my normal preparation ritual. I typically find a quiet place and tune in and ask for guidance and then look at the transits, SA Directions and Progressions and then make some notes of the most important items. In this particular case I skipped the notes and just thought I would be fine, but when the reading time came, I froze. I just couldn't say much of anything! My mind went totally blank. It was awful!!! I was mortified. There was a Lunar eclipse on my Sun that day too, which probably did not help, but I learned that my notes are essential. The only other time I felt I might have failed the client was with a woman who had almost every planet in the eighth house in Leo. She would not respond to anything I said. She sat stoically without ever opening her mouth. It was a reading I did as a newer astrologer and I didn't know what to do. Now, I ask people for direct feedback if they just sit there in total silence. In this example, however, I just kept thinking this person would say something if I just kept going. She never really said much, even though I extended the time in an effort to break through to her. So, to this day, I can still feel that empty feeling of not knowing what she was experiencing and whether my words hit home or not. I had another similar reading many years later and thought for sure I was off base, but the woman called me back and said it was the best reading she had ever had and she has had annual readings ever since and has referred lots of friends, so my motto is: Ask clients for feedback. If you are off, you can make adjustments during the reading, which helps the client and it provides information that can be useful to other clients, with respect to how specific configurations may play out in someone's life.

I once decided to have a reading from someone who I didn't know, but had been highly recommended, by a client.I had read one of her books. I was a full time astrologer in France, but I wasn't yet known in the US. I told her I was an astrologer when I made the appointment, and that I was in the US taking time off. when I arrived she asked me what I did for a living!. She also relocated my birthchart for the place of residence, which I certainly didn't ask her to do, and don't agree with as a practice. It was clearly not a good fit. my sense is that she hadn't prepared at all, The one good thing is that I walked out with a renewed sense of my own value as a practitioner.

What do you think makes for a disappointing reading?
Have you ever been given a reading that you felt was unsuccessful or even damaging? If so, can you elaborate on what the problem was for you.
Have you yourself given a bad reading, and what do you think went wrong? How would you have remedied the situation?

Kim DeNoue

What do you think makes for a terrible reading?
A terrible reading for me is when the astrologer is not in tune with me.

Have you ever been given a terrible reading, and what was most disappointing about it?
I can't remember a specific example, as this has not happened in a long time, but I do not like it if the astrologer has a canned or pre-determined list of things to say and does not allow for some interaction.

Have you yourself given a terrible reading, and what do you think went wrong? And how would you have remedied the situation?
Yes. It happened earlier this year. It was at a conference and I was very busy prior to the reading and did not do my normal preparation ritual. I typically find a quiet place and tune in and ask for guidance and then look at the transits, SA Directions and Progressions and then make some notes of the most important items. In this particular case I skipped the notes and just thought I would be fine, but when the reading time came, I froze. I just couldn't say much of anything! My mind went totally blank. It was awful!!! I was mortified. There was a Lunar eclipse on my Sun that day too, which probably did not help, but I learned that my notes are essential. The only other time I felt I might have failed the client was with a woman who had almost every planet in the eighth house in Leo. She would not respond to anything I said. She sat stoically without ever opening her mouth. It was a reading I did as a newer astrologer and I didn't know what to do. Now, I ask people for direct feedback if they just sit there in total silence. In this example, however, I just kept thinking this person would say something if I just kept going. She never really said much, even though I extended the time in an effort to break through to her. So, to this day, I can still feel that empty feeling of not knowing what she was experiencing and whether my words hit home or not. I had another similar reading many years later and thought for sure I was off base, but the woman called me back and said it was the best reading she had ever had and she has had annual readings ever since and has referred lots of friends, so my motto is: Ask clients for feedback. If you are off, you can make adjustments during the reading, which helps the client and it provides information that can be useful to other clients, with respect to how specific configurations may play out in someone's life.

Lynn Bell

I once decided to have a reading from someone who I didn't know, but had been highly recommended, by a client.I had read one of her books. I was a full time astrologer in France, but I wasn't yet known in the US. I told her I was an astrologer when I made the appointment, and that I was in the US taking time off. when I arrived she asked me what I did for a living!. She also relocated my birthchart for the place of residence, which I certainly didn't ask her to do, and don't agree with as a practice. It was clearly not a good fit. my sense is that she hadn't prepared at all, The one good thing is that I walked out with a renewed sense of my own value as a practitioner.

Donna Young

I have had clients who came to me after a "terrible reading" from another astrologer. Terrible, in my opinion, is when the astrologer positions themselves as omnipotent, and having the ability to predict far into the future or who tell their clients something "for their own good". Suggesting to a 19 year old that they will never find love because they have Venus conjunct Saturn in the 7th is not only ridiculous, but not helpful. This falls to a code of ethics that some people fail to recognize. It's important to ask ourselves "is this helpful?" before we open our mouths.

I can't say that I've had a terrible astrology reading, but I've had disappointing ones. They become disappointing when they are cookbook interpretations - as though they are reading the interpretations provided off of Solar Fire and haven't taken any time to digest the entire chart.

I hope I haven't given "terrible" readings. But sometimes they aren't as satisfying as I'd wish. Three things I've learned to ask are the level of experience someone has with astrology, whether they've had their chart read before, and the specific reason they are coming for a reading. And I'm very clear about the fact that I'm not a psychic. If people come in with that kind of expectation, the reading will indeed be terrible.

Arlan Wise

I hope I never do a terrible reading.

I think one would be when the astrologer talks about herself the whole time, or says that bad things will happen, spouts prejudice, or gives the client no hope.The mind is strong and remembers when an astrologer or psychic says something negative which the mind can turn into a self fulfilling prophecy.

I have had readings that told me nothing but I have been fortunate to escape ones that left any negative residue. I have had to do what I call damage control on new clients and explain that the dire things the previous astrologer saw can have other meanings too.

In OPA's peer group work and certification process one gets to see and hear other astrologers and when the "terrible" things are said, there is an opportunity to point it out and hopefully teach the astrologer who it is not right to say those things. One also gets an opportunity to talk out what one may think was a terrible reading that he/she gave and find some clarity on it.

Jacqueline L. Janes

My very first reading by a professional astrologer of some note was disappointing because he didn’t ask basic questions. He knew that I was looking for guidance in professional direction. At the time I was taking astrology classes from him. He never asked my level of education. He didn’t inquire if I had any leanings towards a career. He suggested that being a receptionist in a firm would be ideal given my stellium in Gemini as Gemini’s are very chatty and interested in talking. I was fairly quiet in astrology class, pondering the astrological information. I left the session very disappointed as I really had hoped for a more in depth understanding of my energy pattern from an astrological professional. (That stellium is in the 12th house ruled by Mercury in Capricorn in the 8th; MC Aquarius. Surely there was more to say.)
So that experience led me to always ask a client seeking career advice, “What education have you attained?”; “Has there ever been a subject or career path that interested you, but you subsequently rejected?”; “Are there any fields that interest you now?” Asking these questions has had interesting outcomes. I had a client who was a nurse because she was told that it was a good choice for a woman. She was really interested in and loved math, but in her junior high school year had a bad math teacher experience who told her she wouldn’t make it in math. I didn’t know this, but just happened to ask her, “Why nursing?” as her chart indicated a talent in the math or science professions. Her story came out. She is now working in a medical field on computers analyzing medical mathematical data after going back to college for classes in math and computer science.
My point is that the chart analysis means nothing if we don’t relate to the client. The reading needs to be connected to the person or it is just a pile of information with no soul.
Yes, over the years I have given a few unsatisfactory readings. In thinking about specific situations I believe that the client was seeking information that, for whatever reason, was not readily discernible by me, maybe because of my skill level or orientation or maybe because the information was not possible to glean by astrological analysis. In one case the client was disappointed because I could not see in the chart the importance of an event in her life. I should have followed my own advice and ask more questions at the initial intake.
I am usually culturally aware when that is a factor in a consultation, but in another case the differences in culture became a factor in my analysis of the chart that led to an unsatisfactory reading for the client…almost. I learned a lot about cultural differences in family life and the client graciously considered my interpretation of the chart from a Western perspective. The consultation was “saved” by dialog and openness in the client/consultant relationship.

Mary Lewis

There are many answers to this, but for me, as an astrologer, what makes for a disappointing reading is someone who really wants fortune-telling and absolutist
prognostication - ie., this WILL happen this way, that will NOT happen, you'll win the contest if you enter on this date, etc. Thankfully, I give quite a bit of info
upfront as to what our session will be about and an important piece is that I do NOT do predictions. I share the energy astrologically around the question as
shown in their chart related to what they are telling me or asking me and their natal chart. I don't have this kind of thing come up often, but it sometimes has and the
person has been unable to hear what the astrological energies are saying their part is in this and what THEY can do and avoid - what they need to work on, at the time,
within themselves.

I had a reading years ago in which the astrologer had very poor boundaries and inserted information about themselves, sometimes in an inappropriate/suggestive manner,
repeatedly during the reading. My assessment was: This person IS brilliant, knows their astrology, and has BIG,BIG issues that were constantly being inserted into my reading.

I have had readings where I just have not felt satisfied - sort of "completed" by the end of the reading. I have not felt that I pulled the chart in whole together well enough, in the end.
In these instances, I have spent time after the astrological reading itself is done, talking with the client more and specifically trying to get a handle on what *they* heard/experienced.
Mostly I have been pleasantly surprised by what they *did* get our of the reading. Sometimes, some days, I just feel less articulate. I have on a couple of occasions felt strongly enough
that the client needed a clearer picture about something in particular that I felt I had not given enough emphasis to (as an example) that I have emailed the client and elaborated on it
in a synopsis. This has been helpful and the clients have appreciated it. Sometimes there is sooooooooo much going on in some charts that it is quite the challenge! I have never been
given dissatisfied feedback from a client but I have had clients thank me for clarifying something more than once, in a reading, or afterward.

Sue Minahan

A disappointing reading is when the heart of the matter instigating the reading fails to provide a clue how to reveal light into the concern. But, foremost, clarifying energies asks for supportive reasoning.
My first reading at 25-26 assaulted my personal boundaries. After my reading, the astrologer voiced during a reading to an acquaintance of mine, his concern if I would "ever find my calling". Beyond anger I felt betrayal and confusion why he neglected to advise me directly of his opinion if it was so important?
My anger and distrust focused on asking myself: what credence authorizes another individual to make rash opinions about the outcome of another life? determining their biased judgment of another person's value based on what outward measurements, made by whom? And for what purpose if it didn't include helpful understanding what may be preventing the outcome "observed"?
Perhaps in a very backward manner, I am able to feel that his avert insensitivity has further fueled my innate view of unilateral equality based on the pure essence of the merit all life itself gives. I am confident my life is of purpose, yet to place myself into a position where I am accepting another individual's judgment upon my identity, I remain very cautious and have asked for very few professional readings before my involvement primarily with OPA and Maurice Fernandez's Complete Course class. Because, I remember that titles may prove little so I looked closely at perspectives people posses as a better indicator of their ability to give a meaningful reading.
And, as life mirrors its course, I am recently reminded to be careful of myself using expressions how to describe energies, no matter the context.
In a conversational manner, last week I responded to a friend's question with a short reading while discussing the Nov 14 2016 Full Moon 22 degrees Scorpio-Taurus, which sits on her 23 Scorpio Moon. I concluded with a casual comment of "watching ones own values that led to death" (or something to that effect). She asked me about what I meant by death, and of course I quickly saw he error of my own "insensitivity". To a Moon in Scorpio death is no fleeting subject.
I mistook her reception as being on a similar level of my understanding of archetypes, but realized although she possesses a good foundation, she is not currently studying astrology and needed a truer description to convey astrological energies.
Because I value her friendship enormously, I immediately chose to use this as a lesson to use loving care when verbalizing archetypal energies and avoid literal imagery such as death without a parallel to associate the intent and motive enabling a person to integrate and apply the meaning intended.
I remain thankful for the full circle of related experience that displays the power of words and the need to associate heart with all communication requested in guidance. So often it's said it's not the destination, but the journey that matters. And in this regard, it's the heart that's felt rather than just the convictions. Heart matters. Opines not so unless entwined.

Vinnie Scotti

Nothing is perfect. Evolution is imperfection endlessly reaching into the only "thing" which is "perfect" which is the unmanifest,but yet never becoming that unmanifest perfection. There would be no universe if perfection existed. Are work is a work in progress. As I "work" on my self I am better able to not sabotage my work with clients. The betterment of self reflects in The facilitation of the betterment in The client. After problematic readings I have given I have had to force me self to keep pushing forward despite the embarrassment, despite my feelings of inadequacy, despite me feelings of saying "the hell with it, I quit" I have been cutting my teeth with these imperfect readings and it feels dam good....I have taken note of these trip ups I have had, and I try to keep encourage myself to trust my abilities with my horoscopic work. I gave a reading to a person that is purportedly in contact with the Pleadians (as well as some other entities) and during the reading I told him what he needed to hear,not what he wanted to hear(or at least what I thought he needed to hear) and the inconvenient honesty was a monkey wrench thrown right into his willful tunnel vision.... but I wanted to work with him more and hear about his "dream state experiences" so initially I didn’t want to say anything that would turn him off from working with me.....I was afraid if I gave him honest advice he would find a new astrologer... also our phone connection dropped and after the call back the reception was terrible, so we terminated the reading with out finishing it. At first i was frustrated that i told this person something i know was very personal to him,and something he didn’t seem to want to hear(key word seem) and i was frustrated the call dropped. But in hind sight I know I did the right thing cause after the reading he was appreciative of the people in his life whom were telling him to slow down.and as his progressed sun was just progressing into Taurus I was trying to align his far out Piscean sun with the temple of The body.He needed to ground and slow down, he with his mars in aries didn’t want to hear this and i gained experience with phone issues during readings.so at first i was like "man that was a major fail" but it panned out not to be so much of a problematic screw up ... Conversely The readings I have gotten form some friends that done been doing this astrology stuff since I was a little boy in diapers have had there fatal flaws. But the old timers screwing up in there readings for me validated my own humanity and the fact I don't need to be perfect when i myself am working with a client. I only need to keep reaching into the flesh of god while humbly asking her to reveal to me the next arduous step on this dubious path of self betterment I dysfunctional walk....I guess I'm a wounded healer so I have every right to be screwed up, but boy does that give my clients licence to be in a sloppy process of growth and betterment:)
Blessings to OPA!

Roderic Walter

Have not had a problematic reading - want more readings!

Kay Taylor

A reading is poor or a disappointment when the astrologer doesn’t create resonance with the client, lost in technical details and language, pompous, non-empathic, overly directive and arrogant, and filled with fear based predictions without a sense of the client’s emotional response. Or, of course inaccurate, rambling or superficial readings will disappoint.

I received one reading many years ago from a newer astrologer that went on for hours. Like the Michael Lutin joke, “… but wait I still haven’t told you about the state flower of Taurus yet” I had to beg for it to end when we hit the four hour mark.

I have also received readings where astrologers blithely announced impending deaths and legal troubles, breakups, betrayals, or misery in relationships forever, which first, turned out to be not true, and secondly, took a lot of energy to process so that I could move through my life with my own intuition and sense of self and life intact again. Even when clients seem to be receiving challenging messages fairly well, we are plunged into fear. Astrologers need to be very careful not to be fearful themselves so they take the most negative possibility of every natal position or transit to be likely, nor be too clinical or arrogant about their predictive perfection in the diagnosis and delivery.

I can think of one reading I gave many years ago that was a strong learning experience. My initial answer about the only question the person had (about a relationship) was not what she wanted to hear. She was an astrologer so wanted primarily an intuitive reading from me. I had not prepared a full astrological analysis, so found myself floundering, not sure if my intuitive read was correct or not, and not having done a deep enough astrological analysis to be certain of that either. I should have given her the option to end the session, or focus on other life issues. Instead I went round and round, lost in wanting to give her the answers she wanted but not seeing clearly. I have learned a lot more since then and balance between the astrology and intuition more successfully.

Sara Diamond

I’m new to the practice of astrology. But for nearly 20 years, I was a client of one and then another local astrologer.
What made for many disappointing readings was coming away, each time, not feeling accurately seen or heard. Before the internet was widely used and before I had an idea of going to someone outside my city, I went to one astrologer who kept focusing, for years, on my Sun sign (Cancer). I kept thinking: wait a minute, I know I’ve got most of my planets in fire signs…. There was something about astrology that made sense to me – or maybe I’m a slow learner—and I kept coming back to her until something big happened.
In 2011 I felt a terrible sense of foreboding and called the astrologer. She said I was soon to have transiting Pluto oppose my Sun and that this would be a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime chance for a “spiritual transformation.” I came away, again, not feeling heard, and I also felt very bad physically and psychically. A few months later, as Pluto opposed my Sun, I was diagnosed with cancer. I later learned that the day I started chemo, the transit was exact.
I wouldn’t have expected an astrologer to diagnose a serious disease. But what if the astrologer hadn’t dismissed my feeling that something bad was about to happen? It would have helped.
During cancer treatment, I shifted to another local astrologer. I was looking for some kind of information to the effect that things would get better. I mentioned that I’d been in a 24 year relationship. “Really,” she said, “that must have been a fluke.” Then, in three annual birthday readings, she insisted that I was not “relationship material” because I have two asteroids conjunct with Uranus. Each time, I told her I’d been in a very long-term relationship, and each time she insisted that I was pretty much doomed in that department. She also asserted that I was about to retire from work and when I told her that, no, I must continue to work to pay bills, she argued with me about how I run my law business.
At that point, summer of 2014, I threw my hands in the air and decided: I will study astrology on my own. Fortunately, the local astrologer gave me a refund, and someone else referred me to an evolutionary astrologer in another state. I had a phone reading with her that set me on the path of becoming an astrologer. Finally, finally, someone who was a total stranger explained to me my lunar nodal axis (SN Aries 9th), natal Pluto exactly on my Ascendant, Mars in Aries, etc. etc. I felt understood.
She mentioned the books of Steven Forrest, I got them, read them. One thing led to another. I started studying both traditional and evolutionary astrology with fabulous teachers, and now I’m starting to do readings with clients. That 2014 reading with someone who listened and “got” me made all the difference.

Dmitriy Paramonov

Why does astrological consultation go bad?
This is a very complicated issue, which is very difficult to find a simple answer. To find the answer to this question there are books by Bob Mulligan called "Between Astrologers & Clients" and by Donna Cunningham called "The Consulting Astrologer's Guidebook". The authors of these books deeply immersed in this issue, describe the problem and made constructive suggestions.
Putting aside crabbed books, my opinion about the cause of this problem includes a variety of reasons. Here are some of them, in my opinion the most common:
1. There is no motivation to work. For example, payment is very low, astrologer's talent has not been recognised, close friends and relatives do not support astrologer's hobbies, etc. - All of these factors lead to the fact that the astrologer does not get pleasure from work, they have no incentive to do their job efficiently.
2. The astrologer consults in the areas in which they are not qualified. For example, the astrologer has no medical training, and makes recommendations for treatment of disease. The desire to become famous as a healer becomes stronger than common sense. Consultation of the such astrologer are not just bad, they appear as the intentional infliction of harm to health of the client. Another example, the astrologer has no political, historian or sociological education , but actively making political forecasts. The desire to become famous as a great prophet is stronger than common sense.
The astrologer does not understand how to do politics, he does not understand the essence of the story, but it is actively watching TV and has an opinion that is in a hurry to express publicly. The predictions of the astrologer are a lie.
Another example, the astrologer has no economical education, he is not familiar with the processes that occur in the market but also want to be famous. Of course, these astrologers write nonsense. They are committing a crime not only against the client, but also against Astrology. These astrologers discredit Astrology in the public eye.
3. The astrologer has low qualifications. For example, they have bad prediction techniques or do not have the skills of conducting consultations. Not only to the fact that the astrologer is still young as an expert, it might be also due to the fact that the astrologer has a very big experience, but ambition does not allow to admit that it is something the do not know. Therefore, such astrologers make an important appearance and speaks any nonsense customer.
4. Ethical principles of astrologer is based on instincts. For example, Astrologer in his work pursuing selfish interests. In this case, the deity covers an astrologer information channel and it can not hold a consultation.
5. The astrologer has a false idea of what is a "good advice." For example, the astrologer can be mistaken regarding the capabilities of astrology and therefore poses a very big goals. This may be due to the fact that they read books on astrological fiction in which the author does not understand that can really astrology, and what it can not. The fact that the astrologer was in astrological sect, which was misleading as to the real possibilities of astrology. The astrologer does not understand that it's not that bad advice, and that he has a distorted understanding of the process.
There are other reasons for which consultation can not be as good as we expect it. But this is beyond the scope of our discussion.
Did I have some bad advice?
Yes, I had such situation.
Why is this happening?
The reasons I described above.
How to increase your level of counseling?
It seems to me that the "Code of Ethics and By-Laws" published on the OPA website provides a great deal. I admire the astrologers who have developed this Code. If the astrologer tries to implement these principles in their practice, the level of counseling will be very high.

Margaret Logovatovskaya

Some difficulties in the interpretation of the horoscope may occur when the client's experience and lifestyle alien to the Astrologer. People talk in "different languages". The astrologer-client level affects the quality of consultation. If people are on the same level, they understand each other, if not, the consultant will have difficulties with convey to the client properly what he wants to say.
I've got a following case in my practice: my client was a man much older than me having the status and position in society. By that time, I had just started consulting. I had some difficulties with convey him constructively the things I know in an oral consultation. This led to the situation in which I appeared like I was incompetent. In this case, I prepared a written file, where it was clearly painted. Then I found out that the client was very pleased. But I saw he was confused when I consult in an oral form. It comes from the fact that we were strongly different in life experience and status. He seemed very strict, and my confidence was not yet strong enough. And that created the effect that the consultant is weak in his eyes, but it was not so.
Before the consultation I often make a chart of compatibility with the client. In this case, the client Saturn hit my moon in Capricorn. And it was one of the factors that created additional difficulties.
Therefore, the correct reading of a horoscope criteria is: for each astrologer each client (age, status, etc.), you must be a 100% sure if there is a customer defeat personal planet to important astrologer's planet, it is better to make a written consultation than oral to smooth things over.

Cindy Chamberlin

I find this a great question to ponder about. First of all, I don't believe in the words "bad reading." I don't think the word "bad" is appropriate terminology. As astrologers, none of us should give readings we are not prepared for. If a client is paying for a reading, or you are giving a free reading, you must be prepared to give the client your best. This is ethically correct. You will feel much better if you know you did your best. If the client feels "disatified" with the reading for some reason, it is not that you didn't give 100%. Be gentle, be kind, and do your best to understand what they were unhappy about with the reading.Sometimes, their expectations may have a false connotation of what astrology is really all about. I personally, have been happy with the readings I have received from astrologers. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to post.

Susan Falk

I feel that I gave a bad reading many years ago because I used too much astrological terminology and it was confusing to the client.She was someone whom I already knew as a casual friend and at the time I had some other friends for whom I had done readings that were fascinated with astrology and wanted to know why I was telling them the things I was telling them about their charts so I told them about the planets and what they represented.I assumed that this woman would also be interested in knowing the astrology but it turned out she wasn't and in fact, was confused by it.I found this out later.I then realized that I needed to ascertain if a person was interested in knowing something about the astrology or not and not just assume that they were. This has served me well in doing professional readings as some people really do want to know something about the astrology and others do not.

Alexandra Karacostas

What do you think makes for a disappointing reading?

When someone sits there with arms and legs crossed in an interrogating style and disagrees with all you say.

Have you ever been given a reading that you felt was unsuccessful or even damaging? If so, can you elaborate on what the problem was for you.

Not damaging, but not helpful either. Astrologer only spoke of what they wanted, rather than asking me about my concerns.

Have you yourself given a bad reading, and what do you think went wrong? How would you have remedied the situation?

Consultations are like a performance where the audience can make or break the experience. Sometimes, the rhythm is off. I feel fortunate in that most of my clients are repeats and we like one another. For my part, there were times when I tried too hard to give client what I thought they needed/wanted. Instead of using my heart wisdom, I used only my brain. Not the best idea .

As we gain experience as consulting astrologers we learn and grow. It's wonderful that we can share our experiences and wisdom, here on this page. Thank you.

Lucia Lu Luyao

I had a bad experience with one client last year. I began to read the chart and she stopped me after half an hour saying that I was not professional because she did not feel that is about her. And that is the first time in history this ever occurs to me... So I had to claim that I knew what I was doing. I felt really bad. Then we began to talk about one big Neptune transit she was having and she kind of felt better about it. But in general that was just a disaster. And after several months she sent me a message saying that she just found that she gave me wrong birth time information and she apologized for that and wanted to schedule for another reading.

And just recently there was another accident. I started the session on time with a new client and found that I got the wrong birthday!!! T_T ! So I was preparing for a wrong birth-chart. I almost freaked out and got very nervous because I am used to get prepared well. And I quickly decided that I would have the client wait for a few minutes and gave me some time to prepare for that chart. It was too embarrassing to admit that I made a mistake so I just said to the client that I had to reprint the charts. So it took me several minutes to look at the chart and restart the session... Luckily I did it OK and she thought that is helpful and she then wanted another reading of her child...

So the most damaging reading to me is a reading of the wrong chart and preparing for the wrong chart!

There are other situations which are not successful mostly because the client expected the wrong thing, for example fortune telling or the client was not ready to have a deep conversation then it became difficult. Now I learn to avoid those clients and gave the correct description of my sessions.

Kathryn Andren

I have had the experience on two occasions receiving readings where suddenly the astrologer is comparing their own chart with mine. I have heard the astrologer detour and go on about aspects in their own chart, rather then focus on mine during a session. This does not feel professional to me. When I am paying for a reading, I want to hear about my chart, rather then the chart of the person I am seeing for the service!

This has inspired me to ask specific questions with my clients about their concerns before their reading. Then, I can hold the focus and make sure their specific needs get met in our session time together.

Maurice Fernandez

I remember when I was first getting into astrology, I went to get a reading from one of the most prominent and expensive astrologer in the country...I wanted the 'best' experience, both for personal direction and for my own research purposes as a student.
The fellow spent pretty much all the reading telling me how my life, myself, and my mother were messed up because I have a 12th house Moon (ruling my ASC). I actually was in a quite good phase of my life and very happy with myself, and my mother was always one of the closest and most reliable people in my life, so I tried to understand what he was referring to...Giving him some feedback. But that did not help. Very disappointing (and still expensive) reading.

It is interesting that about a decade later, I ended up writing a whole book on the 12th house and rerouting many of the misunderstandings associated with the 12th house's undeserving bad reputation.

I think what made the reading a failure was not necessarily that he got things wrong, but that he would not consider my feedback to reconsider his claims. It happened in another reading where the astrologer was basically lecturing for an hour without actually checking in with me to see where I was at with his/her assertions.

On the other side of story, I did have people disappointed with readings I gave. As astrologers we don’t always receive feedback as clients come from a one time session and unless we get cues in real time, we don’t always know how it went for them.
I did have a client who basically told me everything I said was wrong - that day Mars was opposing her Sun exactly. I try not to schedule clients when they are under stressful transit weather.

Kate Rusko

I’ve only had one disappointing reading: it clocked almost two hours and was high on information and low on meaning. It left me feeling overloaded and uninspired. It was like a doctor’s appointment. A reading should bring the page of astrological symbols alive and tell a story that inspires and compels the person being “read” to see themselves in a new and expanded light. In this reading, I did not feel seen- I felt dissected.

I once had a very disappointed client, but I don’t think in this case that I gave a bad reading. There were just cultural expectations that I could not work around. We were not on the same page AT ALL and my approach was very frustrating for her. I did learn a lot from the reading though, and am grateful for it. It made me work harder on aspects of a reading that are not of particular interest to me to me, yet could be very valuable to a client.